Some of my favorite things in the world come in shades of blue-the cornflower of the sky, the cobalt glass on my bottle tree, and the aquamarine of the sea. My favorite is a shade that can only be described as laughing blue-the color of my baby niece Olivia's eyes.
Blues can be elusive in the garden, with so many prolific pinks, yellows, and oranges available for borders. In the South, however, we have lots of blue flowers from which to choose. Here are some of the best.
Lily-of-the-Nile This beautiful perennial sends stalks of blue spheres to greet the summer season. Its straplike leaves can be deciduous or evergreen, depending on the species or selection. Plant it en masse for a show of color or in containers for flowers on the pot. It works very well in pots because it likes crowded roots. The species (Agapanthus africanus) and a selection such as 'Peter Pan' works well in the Lower, Coastal, and Tropical South. Hybrid selections, such as 'Elaine' or 'Storm Cloud,' can even be grown in the ground into the Middle South. Enjoy lily-of-the-Nile in containers in the Upper South. Just bring your pots in to protect them from winter weather. You can also use lily-of-the-Nile as a cut flower purchased from your flower shop.
French Hydrangeas These are among the most popular Southern pass-along shrubs. Their voluptuous blossoms alone will start conversations between neighbors. Whether you prefer mopheads (large, dense clusters of flowers) or lace-caps (loose, delicate blooms), you have many great selections to consider. For mopheads, try 'Nikko Blue' 'Enziandom,' 'All Summer Beauty,' 'Penny Mac,' 'Endless Summer,' and 'Mini Penny.4 Our favorite blue lace-caps are 'Blue Wave' and 'Blaumeise.'
Use hydrangeas in your shrub border for dependable color. They prefer morning sun with light afternoon shade. Soil pH can affect the color of the blooms. Acid soil produces the bluest blues, while alkaline soil can turn blossoms pink. Besides adding color to your garden, hydrangeas also make great cut flowers for indoor arrangements, and they dry well.
Cape Plumbago A mounding plant that loves heat and sunshine, cape plumbago delivers waves of sky blue blossoms throughout summer. Plant it in drifts (three to five plants), or use it in containers. It's especially happy in the Coastal and Tropical South, where it's reliably hardy in the ground. In cooler regions, treat it as an annual. All gardeners will love the deep blue selection 'Royal Gape.' Cape plumbago can tolerate salt spray (great for the beach) and is deer resistant. As a bonus, butterflies flock to these plants and happily flutter among their blooms.
Salvia Heat-tolerant and easy to grow, salvias are especially fine plants for Southern gardens. Anise-scented sage (Salvia gauranitica) offers a continuous supply of cobalt blue flowers during the summer months. It prefers light shade and moist soil. Most Southern gardeners can grow it as a perennial, but it does not like the cold winter of the Upper South. For other shades of blue, try 'Black and Blue,' which is deep blue with purplish-blue calyxes, or the light blue 'Argentine Skies.' Mealycup sage (S.farinacea) thrives in the heat and sunshine of summer, and its violet-blue flowers are usually used as annuals. Great selections to try include 'Victoria' and 'Henry Duelberg.' (The latter selection is especially good for Texas gardeners.) Hummingbirds love salvias.
Rose of Sharon Also known as althaea, this Southern pass-along shrub tolerates the heat and drought of our long summers. 'Blue Satin' is a newer selection that sports beautiful lavenderblue blooms. Plant it toward the back of your flowerbeds to anchor your summer border. It also works well in large containers. Remove the lower branches, creating a single trunk, and train it as a small tree. Althaeas are easy to grow. They can tolerate a wide range of soil types as long as the soil is well drained.
Morning Glories These rampant vines can color a fence or an arbor with cooling shades. Plant seeds of 'Heavenly Blue' morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor 'Heavenly Blue') for a profusion of saucer-shaped blooms in late summer. If you've ever strolled through Charleston, South Carolina's churchyards, you've seen 'Blue Dawn' morning glory (I. acuminata 'Blue Dawn') stealthily creeping along. Garden centers sell this selection as a potted plant rather than seeds. Plant one in a spot where you can keep an eye on it. This rapidly spreading morning glory likes to take off when you aren't looking. It can cover an arbor-or a slow-moving dog-without warning.
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Copyright 2008  Southern Living
